susie johns at the circus

New book: Still Life

I've got a new book coming out in October 2021... I have built my reputation as an author by writing dozens of books on knitting, crochet and sewing. This time the subject is art: drawing and painting. I loved writing this book, especially when it came to creating ten still-life pictures for readers to follow step-by-step. Also, I was able to use a variety of materials: pencil (graphite), charcoal, pen and ink, coloured pencils, watercolour pencils and watercolour paints. I've included plenty of tips and tricks that I have learnt over the years when teaching art at a local adult education college and I hope that readers will find the book useful, whether they are beginners or fairly experienced at drawing and painting.
There is a little while to wait until the book is published but it can be pre-ordered, from Waterstones or Amazon and probably a few other places.
Here's the Waterstones link:
https://www.waterstones.com/book/still-life/susie-johns/9781784946173

 

Christmas Reindeer

Feel free to download and use this design. You'll find instructions for how to paint this Christmas Reindeer in watercolour on YouTube. Just click on the link below – and don't forget to subscribe to my channel for lots more drawing and painting tutorials.
Merry Christmas!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCQCgCwb89E&t=30s

Halloween pumpkin lantern

Feel free to use this design – though it would be nice if you gave me a credit!
You'll find instructions for how to paint this pumpkin head in watercolour on my YouTube channel... Happy Halloween!

Pansies in watercolour pencils

You can use this pansy design in whatever way you like. It would make a lovely motif for embroidery. For a video tutorial on drawing the design in watercolour pencils, click on the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpZtUQqMTrc

YouTube art tutorials: Learn to Draw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current circumstances mean that, for the time being, many of us are confined to our homes. If things were different right now, I would be teaching for a few hours a week at a local college. But if I can't do it face-to-face, I will do it online... So with this in mind, I have filmed a series of 11 lessons with the theme 'Learn to Draw'.

Here's the link to my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBJ91-rJm6e6eejQHPvRD8A
The course is for beginners who need to learn drawing techniques and skills, and build their confidence – but it should also be of interest to those who already like to draw but want some guidance and ideas.

 

Use this fish template in any way you like. For a tutorial on how to paint a fish in watercolour, visit my YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBJ91-rJm6e6eejQHPvRD8A

Life Drawing classes

I shall be teaching a two-hour Life Drawing class every Wednesday morning for 12 weeks, starting on Wednesday 20 April 2017, at The Learning Centre, Sidcup. The Centre has a well-equipped art room and is located at the end of Sidcup High Street, next to Waitrose. Sign up now! Click on the link below to enrol...
http://enrol.tlcbexley.ac.uk/enrol/CourseInfo.aspx…

Rainbow Storage Baskets

I have been making some storage baskets, mainly because I like to have a crochet project on the go, but also to use up a very large stash of acrylic yarn. I prefer to use natural fibres in most of my work – wool, cotton, and mixes that combine wool and cotton, or maybe include cashmere or alpaca for a touch of luxurious softness – but sometimes acrylic yarns are a good choice, particularly as these man-made yarns are available in such bright colours.
The acrylic yarn used here, which is mostly left over from projects commissioned by Let's get Crafting and Let's Knit magazines, produces a firm fabric, making these baskets quite sturdy. I have also chosen to line them: this is to make them more attractive, more practical and to hide all the yarn ends produced by frequent colour changes.

Collecting Vintage Books...

My collection of vintage annuals started with a single book, found on holiday about 10 years ago. The book was falling apart, so I salvaged some of the pages to use as collage material. From then on, when I came across an old annual, as long as the price was right I bought it. I wasn′t prepared to pay too much. I cleared some shelves in the guest room and, once these were full, I promised myself I would stop collecting. I didnt stop but I did slow down. I have photographed the covers of some of the best ones and have created a photo album to share. I will also put some of these on Pinterest where I am sure they will be discovered by others who love the colourful, quirky, nostalgic illustrations.

Embroidered Jacket

 


I've completed phase one of an embroidery project I've been planning for months. Once I had found a suitable unlined cotton jacket, I lost no time in sketching out a design and stitching it during the Easter break. I've used satin stitch, stem stitch, split stitch and chain stitch, and bright shades of red, blue, yellow, orange and green, with splashes of turquoise and lavender, for a rich, colourful effect.
The design includes a sweep of floral motifs across the centre back of the jacket, with a colourful bird in flight. The next phase will be to add more flowers and perhaps some more birds, or butterflies.
With this initial part of the design completed, the jacket is wearable, which means that I can start phase two when I can find some more time for embroidery: perhaps during the summer.